


yarn hearts

by katsuk1



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, High School AU, M/M, im sorry, markhyuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:31:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8264473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katsuk1/pseuds/katsuk1
Summary: i didn't know the definition of misfit love until you.





	1. donghyuck

**Author's Note:**

> chapter one of many tbh

He used to sit in the same spot everyday. 

No one liked sitting beside him. Between the finger tapping and his other fidgety habits, it was no surprise everybody became too annoyed to stay with him. At first he felt rejected but he grew to like the perks of being alone. He always received extra space to place his books and he didn’t have to deal with people he didn’t even like very much. It was much nicer being alone than being lonely with a classmate by your side. 

He can’t recall why he became so fidgety. He figured it was a way to cope with sitting still for so long but he was able to do so just fine at home during dinner. Maybe that just came from the fear of his parents but he’ll never know. 

None of the other students paid Donghyuck any attention during class which made him both thankful and bitter. Was he not good enough for their attention? Not worthy? Thinking such thoughts left a dirty feeling in his mouth. He doesn’t like thinking about them. 

 

On the day before Christmas break, someone sat beside him. Donghyuck wasn’t shocked but he was in the slightest ways disturbed. When he looked over out of instinct to catch a glimpse of the person’s face, he found himself staring at a big smile that made the corners of his lip twitch up to mimic it. 

“Hi!”

It came out too loud for Donghyuck’s taste and he visibly flinched. The voice of the new person was low and developed, unlike Donghyuck’s who sounded whiny and high pitched. 

“Sorry,” The boy continued, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m Mark. I transferred here today.”

_I don’t care_ , Donghyuck wanted to say. “Hi. I’m Donghyuck.” His voice was monotone and he hoped it would make Mark leave. To Donghyuck’s dismay, he didn’t. He didn’t even flinch. Mark had the audacity to smile wider until his eyes crinkled up into crescents. 

Who does this kid think he is? 

 

“Merry Christmas!” 

Donghyuck froze and stopped packing up his things for just a nano second. He resumed slowly, unsurely and made sure not to make eye contact with Mark. When he finished packing up his books, he realized Mark had waited for him. That stupid smile was still on his face.

“Merry Christmas, Mark.” 

Donghyuck slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked off, Mark trailing behind him like a lost puppy.

 

On the day school began again, he came early. The classroom was empty and dimly lit, Donghyuck’s favourite atmosphere to be in. It was cozy and welcoming with nobody near to disturb him. It had been seven a.m. sharp when he left and it took him ten minutes to walk to school. He liked walking to school at such an early time. It allowed him to take as long as he wanted and it gave him the little freedom he never seemed to receive at home. He always stops by the convenience store on his way and bought a cup of coffee, never anything else. 

From where Donghyuck sat, he was able to look outside the window and at the people running laps for whatever sport was planned for that day. It wasn’t ever interesting but it gave his eyes something to rest on mindlessly. He sipped his coffee slowly, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. 

 

When he realized students were pouring in, he silently prayed Mark would sit beside someone else this time. Maybe he’d like sitting next to that kid, Jaemin. He was nice and welcoming. The complete opposite of Donghyuck. Or maybe Jisung. He was a cute kid who skipped a grade and was kind to anyone who looked his way. But when Mark entered the classroom, wiping what seemed like sweat off his forehead and marched straight for the back where Donghyuck was positioned, Donghyuck knew that his dreams were crushed. 

“Why are you sweating?” blurts out Donghyuck, fingers beginning to tap the wooden desk. 

“I was at basketball practice.” Mark grinned and Donghyuck would lie if that stupid grin wasn’t driving him crazy. 

“You were running laps out there?” 

“Why is that so surprising?” Mark’s grin grows into the smallest of smirks and Donghyuck purses his lips to stop his own grin from forming. 

“It’s not. You’re just an absolute noodle and it’s too cold outside to be running laps in a t-shirt.” 

Mark snorted and Donghyuck found it weirdly charming. “Just call me Noodle Boy Mark.”

Donghyuck laughed and covered his mouth quickly to stop himself. People had began giving them side eyes, curious at who was able to make the quietest kid in class burst out into laughter. “Alright Noodle Boy Mark,” Donghyuck chuckled. He decided not to speak further and was glad when Mark did too.

 

Donghyuck can’t remember why he became so fond of Mark. After weeks of sitting next to each other, they got used to each other’s presence. He doesn’t know if that counts as being friends but he doesn’t mind if they were friends or not. 

 

On Tuesdays, Mark always has basketball practice in the morning and Donghyuck always buys a bottle of Gatorade from the store for him on his way to school. The first time he did so, it was full of hesitance and wariness but Donghyuck kicked himself until he finally brought it to the register. Mark had looked at the beverage and then to Donghyuck. He did it once before sitting down and cracking the top open, nudging the other boy gently.

“Thanks Hyuck.”

_Hyuck._

The blood from all his veins rushed to Donghyuck’s heart and stopped there, clogging up with Mark’s words. They didn’t speak for the rest of the class.

 

“Hyuck?” Donghyuck rang out as soon as Mark appeared beside him.

“That’s not my name but hello to you too.” Mark gave him a lopsided smile and Donghyuck shoved him lightly. 

“No,” Donghyuck continued. “You called me Hyuck yesterday.”

“Do you not want me to call you that?” asked Mark, a small pout forming on his lips. Donghyuck wanted to slap him. 

“No.”

“You want me to stop…?”

“No.” repeats Donghyuck, looking away to retrieve his books from his bag. “I liked it when you called me Hyuck.” He mumbles to himself but he knows Mark heard him anyway, catching a glimpse of his growing smile in the corner of his eye.

“Guess I’ll be calling you Hyuck more often then, huh?” Mark ruffled Donghyuck’s hair and that’s the first time Donghyuck thinks he’s ever been friendzoned.


	2. mark

Donghyuck goes to school earlier than everybody else and leaves later than everybody else too. He can’t seem to sit still like there’s always something on his mind that he can’t seem to forget about. He likes staring out the window and pretending nothing in the world exists. 

Mark likes that a lot. 

 

“Don’t you have a home?”

Mark can practically see everything in Donghyuck’s body stiffen up, freezing like a deer in the headlights. 

“What?” asks Donghyuck, careful and hesitant, picking the word out of many things he could’ve responded with.

“A home. A place you live, Hyuck.” Mark chuckles but this time, Donghyuck doesn’t smile.

“I don’t have a home.” Donghyuck says simply, fingers turning white from how tight he was gripping his backpack strap. All the other students had already left a long time ago and there were only a few others left in the halls, chatting away quietly with their friends or struggling handle their lockers.

“Of course you do. You just don’t like your home. Is that why you never go home right after school?” Donghyuck clenches his jaw but Mark pretends not to notice. “What’s wrong with your home?”

“Nothing,” At this point, Donghyuck’s teeth are gritting together like he’s using everything in himself to not punch Mark right then and there. Mark doesn’t falter once. “I don’t have a home for anything to be wrong.”

“Hyuck, stop pretending like you live on the streets like some hobo.” Mark grins and slings his backpack over his shoulder, blocking Donghyuck’s way to the door. Donghyuck tenses up again but he relaxes right after. Mark feels like he won a one-sided competition. 

“Mark, there’s…” Donghyuck sighs and closes his eyes, chest heaving up and down. He opens his eyes again. “There’s a big difference between a home and a house, okay?” He pushes past Mark gently and the room stands still, an uncomfortable feeling filling all the corners of the room, forcing itself into the cracks. Donghyuck stops at the exit and there’s something bad crawling up Mark’s stomach.

“I’ve…” Donghyuck pauses. “I’ve never had a home.”

Mark doesn’t feel like he’s won anything now. 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

It’s a whisper- a solemn one and Donghyuck wants to wave it off. “It was nothing.”

“I’m an asshole.” 

“It’s okay.” 

“I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve stopped when I realized you were getting annoyed.”

“I’m _always_ annoyed.” Donghyuck grins but it doesn’t seem to affect Mark. 

“I’m sorry you don’t have a home.”

Donghyuck’s eyes soften and he feels his heart tighten up. “It’s okay.” He says softly, fingers slowly tangling into his shirt. 

“I’ll make sure you have a home from now on.” Mark mumbles, placing his head on the desk, cheek smushed against the cold surface. Donghyuck mimics him and they stare at each other for a second too long. 

“How so?” 

“I’ll be your new home.”

 

“Let me go with you.”

“Go where?” It seems like a routine now, where Mark always stops Donghyuck when he packs up and talks to him about vague things that Donghyuck can never seem to understand.

“Wherever you go after school instead of your not-home.”

“You were serious about being my new home? People can’t be homes, you know.” 

“Yes they can.” 

“No they can’t.” Donghyuck tugs his sweater sleeves down and runs a sweater paw through his hair. “You can’t shelter me. You can’t make me warm or let me sleep in you.”

Mark smiles sheepishly and looks down, taking a small step closer to Donghyuck. “You’re right. But you know what I can do?” Another step. “I can hold you until you’re warm. I can let you sleep _on_ me. You can always sleep over. I’ll always make you feel welcomed and loved.”

Donghyuck shudders, letting out a shaky breath. He shakes his head. “Don’t be stupid. You don’t have to do anything of that for me.” 

Although the two of them were the same height, Mark felt so much bigger and felt the overwhelming need to protect Donghyuck. Donghyuck was slouching and he refused to look up, even if the world was about to end. Mark places a hand on top of his head and he fights back a smile.

“I want to.” says Mark airily. It reminded Donghyuck of cotton candy and his heart fills with sugar. “Anyways, where are we going?” 

Donghyuck could practically hear the grin in his voice. “Mark, I told you I don’t go anywhere special. And besides, I’m not going anywhere today.” 

“Liar,” Mark pouted.

And liar Donghyuck was. 

“Fine,” continued Mark, smiling a bit wider at a new thought. “If you’re actually going home, then call me when you get there.”

“I don’t have your number.” Donghyuck pointed out smoothly, removing his glance from the floor to meet Mark’s. He was still grinning and Donghyuck was too. 

Mark pauses for a moment, pretending to ponder over his choices. It makes Donghyuck laugh. “I’ll give you my number if you give me yours.” 

The lightest of pink dusts Donghyuck’s cheeks and the corners of his eyes begin to crinkle gently before he nods more enthusiastically than he likes.


End file.
